As the Lucas Paquetá inquiry churns slowly through its third week, frustration reigns as very little news emerges since the process is carried out in private. Claret and Hugh’s own source inside the club admits to being apprehensive that ‘The FA are both prosecuting the case and picking the judges’ – a comment repeated many times by observers in recent weeks.
However we hear that this third week is involving ‘expert witnesses’ being called to give their own evidence in the case which certainly, from the FA’s point of view, is not going as they might hope.
Millions ride on the outcome – not just Lucas Paquetá’s lifetime ban punishment which the FA seek if he is found guilty – but the lost earnings for the Brazilian caused by his collapsed move to Manchester City as a result of the investigation- and West Ham’s own loss of perhaps £30 million in profit when that sale fell through- make the stakes (if you’ll excuse the use of that word in a ‘bets for yellow cards’ investigation) enormous.
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As suggested in their article today, hammers.news claim ‘it’s suddenly looking better for Lucas Paquetá’ citing “a gambling expert witness called to give evidence ‘had a really rough time and was not good’. In addition, the claim is made that later this week the ‘statistics expert’ is due to appear who’ is a huge witness in the case‘ as “he will point to hundreds of instances [of] Paqueta’s fouls that would normally result in a booking which have not seen a booking given among other things.”
Whether that sends the FA’s burden of proof below the ‘balance of probability’ water line – who knows. Paquetá’s legal team do seem to be growing more confident in the direction of travel right now.
Lucas Paqueta denies all of the allegations made.